but I have been trusted by the government in the past.’
The man nodded, understanding that Vivi was protecting the work that she’d done, and he seemed satisfied that she would be a good translator for them.
‘You understand, Miss Hamilton, that we have to be careful? If there was any chance that you were working for the enemy, you could translate things to the prisoner that could be of consequence. Matron tells me you and the prisoner were quite close.’
Vivi flushed, speaking rapidly to cover her embarrassment. ‘That was before I knew who he really was. You should have no worries of me treating him any different than any other Nazi, now I know who he really is.’ The picture of him kissing her swam into her thoughts and she shuddered with the memory. How could she have been so foolish? She continued to reassure the officer. ‘Of course, I’m happy to provide a transcript of the things we talked about, if you wish.’
The authorities went with Vivi to interrogate Marcus though he gave nothing but his serial number, name and rank. The whole time his eyes never left her face but she found a spot above his head to ask him the questions, fighting her anger mixed with tears.
After the meeting they all reconvened in Matron’s office.
‘We had an idea that he’d be awkward. It’s pretty much what we expected,’ the field officer informed the matron. ‘However, we’ve caught wind of something we would like to track. Afraid I can’t give you any details. We have a feeling this man may have been a part of something the enemy was cooking up, and we’d like to find out what it is. With your permission, Matron, we’d like to bring in another German soldier. The hope is, as they talk freely with one another, he will disclose some secrets of where he’s from and why he is here. We will set up a listening device in the room so that we can track everything that is said. In the meantime, Vivi, if you can continue to win him over, you can try and find out anything that you can.’
Vivi nodded with great reluctance.
After he left them, Vivi felt sick. She hadn’t realised how much she had started to feel for François… Marcus, she reminded herself, with great bitterness. François did not exist! Brushing away tears, she made a decision she would use all the skills she had learned with SOE to find out everything she could. She would not let this Nazi get under her skin.
In the afternoon, as she leaned in to wrap the bandage around his back, his eyes met hers for a minute. ‘I’m sorry I had to lie to you,’ he whispered to her in French, and there he was again, her François. He made her tremble; it was such an easy act he could slip into, and she fought back her feelings. When she didn’t answer him, he gently touched her arm. ‘I hated doing it, please believe me, but we are at war. We do what we have to do.’
She stared at him with disdain. ‘You didn’t need to prey on my hurt and pain just to get information.’
He genuinely looked remorseful. But she pulled her arm away from him before he could say any more.
Vivi held herself back from slapping him. Not just for his deceit, but for the feelings that were still brimming inside her. She wanted to hurt him for putting them there.
Vivi continued to wind his bandage around his chest and he looked at her with surprise. ‘Are you trying to cut off my circulation? Maybe kill one body part at a time?’
He was being light with her, but she was having none of it. She finished her work and turned and left the room without giving him a backward glance.
Moving downstairs, the matron beckoned her into her office again.
‘I’ve just heard from the authorities. The government is sending us another captive in the next day or so. He’s en route. They’ll put them in the room together, and hopefully our prisoner will open up to him, and we will learn more.’ She went on to explain the situation. As luck would have it, a German reconnaissance mission had been shot down in the North Sea, and three men had been taken prisoner. Two were on the way to jail, but one needed medical attention. They would equip the room with listening equipment when Vonstein was taken out for a procedure.